


Beginning Again

by foofygoldfish



Category: Far Cry 5
Genre: F/F, background grace/hudson, faith and sharky are friends, the bunker fic i said i wouldn't write!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-29
Updated: 2019-01-04
Packaged: 2019-09-29 15:13:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,384
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17205755
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/foofygoldfish/pseuds/foofygoldfish
Summary: The people of Hope County scattered to the wind, and to the safety of bunkers throughout the county, when the bombs went off. After, when it was finally safe to come out, the survivors take stock of what's left, and see who is missing: notably, Deputy Alice Riley, the savior of Hope County. Faith struggles to deal with her loss, and her place in the new Hope County, while Alice spends seven years in Joseph's bunker.





	1. Faith

**Author's Note:**

> Uh, the bunker fic I said I wouldn't write. First will be Faith's part, and then Alice's. There may or may not be a third part? I haven't decided yet...  
> For those who don't follow me on tumblr: Erin Whitehorse, who shows up in this, is the Sheriff's daughter, and kinda takes over for him after everything.

In the heart of the Henbane River region, Faith sat on the bed in Sharky’s bunker.

He had rushed in to the trailer, where she had been napping on the couch, panicking, telling her to grab whatever she could and to get to shelter, that bombs, big ones, were going off in the distance. She didn’t have much - what she did have was already in the bunker, left from when she had been healing from her injuries weeks before, so she grabbed Alice’s cats and ran.

She didn’t know why Alice had trusted Sharky with them - he said it was so Faith would have something comforting, have a companion, but she wasn’t sure.

Faith was glad, though. Both that the cats were with her and that Alice had brought copious amounts of cat food to Sharky’s for storage - neither her or Sharky knew _why_ she did that, but… It was good that the deputy had.

Now… They were waiting.

Sharky was double (triple, quadruple - ) checking that the bunker had sealed properly, that the air and water filtration systems were functioning, that he had remembered to bring in all of the supplies that he had been meaning to, enough to last them however many years it would take before they could fully live above-ground again.

Faith didn’t know what to do.

Worry, she supposed - but now? She felt numb.

Crookshanks sat on her lap, watching her brother pace the bunker, examine the small space for new hiding places, new toys, new… Everything. The cat was purring softly, still alert, upset about being shoved in the tote bag Faith had grabbed, but happily accepting the nervous pets from her human’s favorite human.

“Sharky -” Faith sighed, grabbing the man’s sleeve as he rushed past again, off to check the storage area again. “Sharky.”

“Faith, I need -”

“Nothing’s changed.”

He scratched his neck nervously, shifting his weight from side to side. “I need to keep moving.”

With a frown, she let go, watching him disappear into the back of the bunker again.

“Do you think she made it? Any of them?”

Sharky poked his head back into the main room. “Faith, you know Alice - she’s… She’s gotta be okay. She’s like a cockroach, she’s impossible to kill.”

Faith reached her arm down to pet Data, who _finally_ came to a pause next to her. “Everyone. They - the bombs were so close. Did anyone have time to get to shelter?”

“We…” He - oh god, he was crying, Faith thought. “We’ll find out.”

///

Crookshanks and Data _hated_ the bunker, to no surprise of Faith. The two climbed on everything, constantly meowing, trying to find a way out.

Sharky trying to ration their food (there was plenty, but both of them were worried about _after_ , and if it would be possible to find kibble of any sort), and then moved on to worrying about his and Faith’s food.

Faith tried to get him to call her Rachel - on a whim, just to see how she would feel going by her birth name again, and… Nope. He did it once, decided it felt weird, and honestly - she agreed.

She wasn’t Rachel Jessop anymore.

She wasn’t Faith, either, but… It felt better.

Maybe someday - in the bunker, maybe after - she’d decide on a new name.

Alice was supposed to help with that.

But she wasn’t here.

Who knew if they would ever see her again?

///

They agreed to stay in for six weeks.

He said a month was fine, but they had enough supplies for longer, she said that they needed to stay as long as their supplies allowed (a concession from the seven years Joseph had preached, a point Sharky was glad Faith had given up on quickly).

Board games were their lifesaver - Sharky loved Monopoly and Sorry, Faith preferred Chutes and Ladders or chess, particularly when Sharky’s eyes drifted to the pack of Uno cards.

Usually, though, they were watching movies - she became very well acquainted with the entire Fast and the Furious series, as well as Men in Black, both with and without Sharky’s detailed commentary. They weren’t her favorites, but… They filled the silence and made the days go by quicker.

Sharky’s the one who kept track of the days - he created a sleep schedule for the two, one that would be the most similar to what they had before, and meticulously tracked the days on his little calendar.

Finally, the day they agreed upon came - they day they could finally leave.

Faith stood at the bottom of the ladder, looking up, out the hatch - fearful of the little bit she could see, and…

“Fuck.”

“Shark?”

“It…. It’s bad.”

She looked behind her, at the cats sleeping on the bed, oblivious to the changed routine. With a steadying sigh, she climbed up the ladder, trying to prepare herself for the worst.

And, well…

It was.

Sharky’s trailer was still standing, she could see that - in horrible condition, but standing. The trees all around the property were singed - many dead, with a few just barely clinging to life.

Mentally, Faith cursed the location of Sharky’s home - her former region was so sparsely inhabited in the first place, and “Boshaw Manor” was so secluded that neither of them could see if any other structures survived.

It would have been easy to disappear back in the bunker. To not come out again, to just… Fall asleep and hope that everything was a dream.

She couldn’t. _They_ couldn’t.

There was work to do.

///

Of _course_ the county jail was still standing. Of course it was. The old brick building had once again become the meeting place, this time for survivors for both sides.

Tracey was there, of course.

She was - amazingly - happy to see her old friend-turned-enemy.

When Faith walked through the gates of the jail, just a few steps behind Sharky, close enough to grab onto his shirt if she was nervous, she wasn’t sure _what_ to expect.

Her old friend ignored her at first, greeting Sharky with a warm smile, before turning to her.

“Tracey. Hey.” Oh, God, this was awkward. Faith looked to Sharky for help, but he had his back to her, talking to - was that… The Sheriff’s daughter. What was her name?

Tracey hugged her - not…. Not the reaction she was expecting.

“...Tracey?”

“Fucking _hell,_ Faith. Rachel?” She stepped back, looking at Faith. “...Do you still go by Rachel?”

Faith shook her head. “Uh, I’m figuring that out.”

“Oh.”

“You’re alive.”

“So are you.”

“You… Hugged me.”

Tracey frowned.

“I mean, not that - not that I’m _upset_ about that, I just --” Faith paused, taking a deep breath. “Last I heard, you asked Alice to kill me.”

“Look -” Tracey sighed. “It…. Things are different now. We can’t be - it’s not _smart_ to be fighting like that.”

Faith looked at the jail, dilapidated as always, then wrapped her arm around her old friend. “I missed you.”

Tracey smiled - a small one, but a smile.

Together, they walked into the jail - Sharky was off, hugging a (very) small woman (the one with the horses, Faith thought - Elizabeth?), and Tracey….

Faith froze.

Everyone here - they were bound to hate her.

She needed Sharky back.

Her old friend didn’t let her stop though, grabbing her hand and pulling her into the main cell block, where reunions were happening all around her.

“We sent out messages to people to come here.” Tracey shrugged. “Just to check in. We’re missing a lot of people still, the Sheriff - he’s worried about his daughter, and we just sent someone out to check on the Dennos. Laura, Josh’s wife…”

Faith followed Tracey’s gaze to the wall above the vending machines, and her face dropped.

The wall - it was people who died when her Angels and Chosen had attacked the jail.

Knowing the name of someone who had died here… It… Was rough.

///

Tracey had sat Faith down at a table, off in the corner, before wandering off to continue… Whatever she had been doing.

Nobody was talking to her, but that was better than the alternative - after that last month and a half? Faith didn’t know if she could take people yelling at her. The cold shoulder she could stand. That’s easy.

She had almost fallen asleep there when she saw Tracey come back in -

Carrying… A baby?

Well, that woke her up.

“Are you still good with kids?”

“You’ll trust me with a kid?”

“Faith.”

“I- I’m serious, what - what’s happening?”

Tracey sighed, carefully sitting down with the baby. “They found the Dennos. Josh… They don’t think he’s going to make it. Carolina, his older daughter, said he’s been feeling sick for a few days. Nobody’s sure why. She won’t leave his side and everyone else - everyone’s doing shit. Can you just… Please? Her name is Claire. I need to go check on ”

Silently, Faith nodded, taking the child from Tracey. She was sound asleep - impressive, considering how noisy the cell block was, and how much activity she must have travelled through on the way to the jail.

Later, a little girl, maybe seven or eight years old, wandered into the room, looking lost. Her eyes brightened when she saw her sister, safe and drinking from a bottle someone had brought Faith, and she darted over.

The three sat in silence for a minute, Carolina watching her sister, before Tracey appeared in the door. Carefully, she handed Claire over to her sister, and followed Tracey into the hall.

“He’s gone.” Tracey pinched her nose, sighing deeply. “ _Fuck._ ”

Carefully, Faith placed a hand on her friend’s shoulder. “What do you need me to do?”

“Nothing. I mean - keep watching the kids. Just till we find someone else.”

“I can -”

“Faith.” She sounded exhausted. “You know why you can’t. Just for a few more hours. Please. Someone said they saw Erin when the Dennos were coming back. She might be willing to help.”

Faith went back to the table, where the sisters were exactly as she had left them - Carolina carefully holding Claire, expression empty, staring down at her sister.

She grabbed a book that was on the table - probably a _little_ too old for the girls, but… It would help. She hoped.

The rest of the day passed slowly: Sharky checked in with her, apologizing for disappearing, and then left with Elizabeth to check on things around the farm. Grace and Hudson made an appearance, even coming over to talk to her for a few minutes - the former promised to bring a new set of clothes for her, so she wouldn’t have to keep wearing Sharky’s sweats, before they said they were off to check on Fall’s End, to see if Jess had made it to Mary May like she had said she would.

People were streaming in and out all day - someone who brought food for the trio said it was common, ever since people started coming back out - meeting up during the times that they could.

Sharky brought the cats by as it was getting dark, sticking them in the old control room. The two were happy to be out of the bunker, happy to have new things to explore, and when Faith brought the Denno girls in, happy to sit next to them and purr.

That’s when Carolina finally started crying.

Faith didn’t know what to do - she hugged her close, but it didn’t feel like enough.

Not when it was _her_ fault that Carolina and Claire were orphans.

///

Things slowly picked up around the jail: more and more people came to the building with their bunkers supplies, particularly those with families, to weather out the nuclear winter.

Not many stayed there all the time - mostly just families and the elderly, those who needed more help or wanted the room to socialize and _move_ , particularly during the worst of the nuke-influenced weather.

It was like she was walking on eggshells for the first year they were there - she was on edge, constantly waiting - for Alice to show up, for someone to snap at her, for someone to kick her out… The realization that John and Jacob had survived, not just their confrontations with Alice, but the bombs as well, was as much of a shock to her as it was to the remainders of the resistance.

There was hope then, she thought - if Alice hadn’t killed her brothers… If she got to a bunker, she could be alive.

///

During the first of the new “summers,” Faith tired of waiting around, watching the children of those who trusted her enough to keep the kids out of trouble, and confronted Erin Whitehorse.

“What can I do to prove myself?” Faith asked, staring at the sheriff’s daughter.

Erin looked out the door to the crew preparing to go out to continue clearing the roads, and sighed. “Are you willing to sweat?” When Faith nodded, Erin handed her the shovel she was holding. “Get some work clothes. I’ll meet you out there in ten.”

Faith nodded, trying to hide her smile. She loved watching Carolina and her little sister - both of whom had latched onto her - but… She knew she had to prove herself somehow. Helping to restore the county?

It was the perfect opportunity.

She changed into the jeans and a long-sleeved shirt someone had given her, and went out to meet the de facto of Hope County.

This became a regular thing: despite Erin (or whoever she was sent to) keeping a close eye on her, Faith was allowed to clean up the county’s roads and buildings, and as the years went on, help coordinate the clearing of roads.

Her duties with the children didn’t end, but… She was okay with that.

The kids didn’t fear her like their parents did. If they did - they didn’t _stay_ afraid, finding that one of the boogeymen of Hope County was just as scared as they were, just as unsure of what was happening as they and their parents were.

Claire and Carolina stuck with her as well - there was lots of opposition, but the girls… They just wanted to be with Faith. The one who didn’t fawn over them when their dad died, the one who rocked Claire to sleep almost every night those first few months, the one who dried Carolina’s tears when she finally broke down.

One day, without her realising - people were calling her by _Alice’s_ last name.

It sounded nice.

At the same time - she thought she was over Alice. It had been so long since the bombs, and they were _sure_ that every bunker in the county had been accounted for, that every single one had been searched, and… She had to be gone.

That night, after the girls fell asleep, she snuck into the area Crookshanks and Data were, and cried.

///

In year five, when they were finally able to grow crops again, the fear of _Faith_ , the Herald, returned. Nobody had forgotten what she had done with the bliss, after all, but at the same time, nobody had forgotten her family’s history - Jessop Conservatory had been (regionally) famous for their flowers and vegetables.

She wasn’t allowed to tend the plants. Faith didn’t mind that - Carolina, now a teenager, helped, and Claire, never more than a few feet from her sister when they were beyond the safety of the jail’s walls, helped water the plants. Faith was, however, allowed to plan. What plants went where, when things should be planted (everyone hoped the weather had settled - the last two years had similar weather, almost like it was before everything), who should be taking care of things...  It gave her purpose. Something to do beyond being a babysitter - even if some of those babysitting duties had turned more into motherly duties, ones that she really didn’t mind having.

If there was a way to officially adopt them, Faith would have. Sharky teased her about them all the time, even after he moved into the remains of Elizabeth’s ranch - she was welcome there, he and Elizabeth kept telling her, but Erin said the girls had to stay at the jail for now, and Faith was welcome to go anywhere in the county (as long as someone she trusted was there to keep an eye on her), but… She didn’t.

///

The sixth year after the bombs, she moved into the remains of Alice’s old house with the girls.

Carmina was excited - her and Claire had become fast friends, and while Fall’s End was a _bit_ of a hike from the Rye’s, Kim was always willing to make the walk with Carmina, just to get away from Nick tinkering with the remains of one of his planes. The cats? They _loved_ it, quickly rediscovering their old favorite napping and sunning spots, though they were disappointed by the lack of air conditioning or whole-house heat.

Faith found it… Bittersweet?

Strange?

She didn’t have the heart to sleep in Alice’s room - the girls slept in the bedrooms upstairs, both excited to have rooms of their own (for Claire, it was the first time _ever_ she had a space of her own, Faith realised), and Faith turned Alice’s fondly named “random shit” room downstairs into her bedroom.

One rainy day, Carolina went in to Alice’s room, looking for… Faith didn’t know _what_ , actually.

Faith found both girls sitting there an hour later, surrounded by photographs.

“Faith? Whose are these?”

She sighed, preparing herself - she didn’t know what they would ask, what memories would be brought back to the surface.

“That looks like you -” Claire smiled, picking up a picture and pointing at a figure. “Who’s that, though?”

“That,” Faith sighed. “Is Alice.”

The girls looked at each other, and then back to Faith. They knew who Alice was, of course, and Carolina vaguely remembered the famous Junior Deputy, but they learned very quickly that their guardian would quickly change the subject whenever she was brought up.

“You guys know what she did? Before the bombs, I mean.” When the girls nodded, Faith continued. “Alice was… We…” She sighed. “We were together. It was rough, just because… Well, were on opposite sides.”

Carolina picked up another picture and smiled. “You looked happy.”

“We were. Despite everything… We were.”  She looked closer at the picture, and smiled. “That was taken at our cabin, up by the Harrison lookout tower - well, the mountain to the west of the Conservatory. It was our little place.”

“Is it still there?”

Faith shrugged. “I haven’t had a chance to see. You - you guys know how people are with me, they still don’t like it when I go poking around in the east.”

Claire crawled over to Faith and climbed into her lap. Faith kissed the top of her head, and smiled.

“Maybe we could go find it? If we’re with you - “ Claire looked at Carolina, who started grinning. “It’d be fun!”

“I don’t think it’d be that easy.” Faith sighed. “I want to, but… We would need someone to go with us. Maybe Mary May could, or Adelaide. Not till the weather clears up, though.”

“Promise?”

“Promise.”

The three sat like that for a while longer, Faith telling the girls the stories behind each of the pictures, and everything she could remember from before.

A frantic knock on the door interrupted them. With a groan, she nudged Claire off her lap and went to answer the door.

“....Mary May?” She froze, seeing the bartender’s panicked face. “What’s wrong? Uh, come in, the girls are just -”

“We need to go to Rae Rae’s.”

“What?"

“We found her, Faith. _We found Alice._ Look, Grace is on her way to watch them, just... Come with me. Now.”

Silently, Faith nodded. She shouted upstairs that she was running out, Grace would be there in a few, and she left with Mary May.

The ride to the old pumpkin farm was… Tense.

Neither knew what to expect: all Jess had said was they’d made contact with Alice, she was alive, so was Joseph, and to get there ASAP.

It was just Jess there when she arrived - the archer had a man (Joseph? It had to be) tied to a fencepost, and…

That couldn’t be -

A woman was sitting next to Jess, wrapped in a blanket.

A woman with dark hair, and almost skin and bones - nothing like the Alice that Faith remembered.

But… When the woman looked up?

The eyes that looked at her told the truth.

Mary May beat Faith to Alice - the two friends hugged, before Mary May stepped away, allowing Faith to slowly step forward.

“You’re really going to make me wait?”

God, Faith missed that voice. She ran forward, wrapping her arms around Alice. “I missed you.”

“I missed you too. _Fuck,_ I love you so much.” Alice smiled up at Faith, then pulled her into a kiss.

When she pulled away, Faith rested her forehead against Alice’s. “I have so much to tell you.”


	2. Alice

Alice couldn’t believe this was happening.

Joseph was right.

_He was right._

They had all watched the bombs go off in the distance - the group fighting him scattered, all running to different bunkers, all praying they’d get there safe, nobody knowing if anyone else got to safety.

Not even those in her car: Staci panicked, Alice lost control - then everything was blank.

Joseph was standing in front of her when she woke up, handcuffed to a bed. Just like the first bunker she’d been in, all those months ago, with Dutch.

Where _was_ Dutch? Not in this bunker - it… Where was _everyone_?

Faith was with Sharky, she knew that - she knew her love was safe.

If they got to his bunker.

God, she hoped they got to his bunker.

Everyone who had helped with that last fight… She didn’t even know who was _actually_ there. The bliss was so strong… She knew that everyone in the car was actually there, but… Mary May? Nick, Hurk, Wheaty...

Oh.

_Nick._

If he was there - she prayed he was able to make it back to his house, back to Kim and little Carmina, to the closest bunker…

_And her cats._

It was stupid to worry about them - in the grand scheme of things, her cats didn’t matter, but... Them, Boomer, Peaches and Cheeseburger - she was worried for all of them, for everyone (every _thing_ ) that couldn’t make it to safety.

The door to the little room she was in snapped open, Joseph (looking rough - a cut over his nose, bruises everywhere, burns on his arms… How bad did _she_ look?) strode in, leaning on the table across from her.

“Joseph.”

“Deputy.” He took a deep breath, then leaned down in front of her. “You know what this means?”

“The world is fucked?”

He ignored her. “The politicians are silent. The corporations are gone. God’s righteousness has cleansed the earth. And _I was right_.”

“Joseph..”

“The Collapse happened. The world as we know it is gone - I waited for this, I prepared my family…” He glared at her, and Alice shrank back, knowing how angry he was. “You took them from me. I should kill you - but now you’re my family.”

A protest died on her lips (his brothers were - had been - are? alive, Faith was (should be, a small voice in her head whispered) safe, in a location the resistance and the Project alike couldn’t get her…) as he continued, saying how she would be at his side when they left the bunker, going to what he expected to be Eden’s Gate.

He leaned back against the table, giving her one of his trademarked bone-chilling stares.

There was no way for her to get out.

Even if she _wasn’t_ handcuffed to the bed - the bombs were real.

She was stuck here.

With Joseph Seed.

For who _knows_ how long.

///

At first, time passed slowly in Alice’s bunker.

Joseph told her maybe a week in that it had been Rae-Rae’s. The woman had stocked it well - obviously prepared for more than two people to be there, and for possibly years to be spent in it.

There were dozens of books (not a single copy of the Book of Joseph, to Alice’s amusement), and a few DVD sets for the tiny TV. They wouldn’t last long, she knew, but… It was better than nothing.

Most nights, Alice cried herself to sleep. Joseph ignored her - she preferred it that way, honestly. She missed being close to people, but… She could never forgive him for what he did to her county.

A year went by - no word from outside, despite both of their attempts to contact other bunkers.

Another.

And another.

She was sure that it was safe after the first year, honestly, but Joseph was convinced that they needed to stay for seven years. It wasn’t worth arguing. She wouldn’t win. If she tried to leave on her own - she was afraid he’d handcuff her to the bed again.

Alice still had the scar on her wrist from trying to escape them that first night.

By the third year, she’d read every book in the bunker at least twice. They’d watched all of the shows a few times, until she realised that fuel was limited, and as much as she liked watching MASH and old episodes of Doctor Who? They probably shouldn’t, at least unless they _really_ needed a distraction from the claustrophobia. Joseph had warmed up to her, at least - while they would never be _friends_ , they at least could coexist in the bunker peacefully.

Arguments were different now, too - about rationing,  planning, what was more important, instead of Alice wanting to get out, Joseph wanting his family back.

Years four and five were a blur.

She thought about the animals in her life a lot, and what had happened to all of her friends.

Joseph reassured her that most of those who had fought by her side were smart, and with how many bunkers were around the county, had a high likelihood of surviving.

Cheeseburger and Peaches, though, he had no comments on.

She knew the lifespans of grizzlies and cougars, thanks to a set of encyclopedias Rae Rae had stored in the corner of the bunker. Cheeseburger she might see again. Peaches, though? Not likely. The same with Boomer - if he had been young when the bombs went off, maybe, but with how old he was? Even if he had been taken to safety, old age would get to him before seven years were up.

Year Six… It was different.

Slow, like the first.

Until the radio crackled to life one day, scaring Alice, making her drop the book she was reading.

She scrambled to it, frantically trying to figure out where the _fuck_ the stupid microphone went.

The staticy voice disappeared just as she found the microphone, throwing the bunker into silence again.

Alice looked at Joseph, standing in the door of the store room (a room that was rapidly emptying, with maybe a month of supplies left - not enough to please Joseph), and shrugged.

It crackled again a week later.

This time -

“Anyone on this frequency?”

She knew that voice. It was -- _thank fuck._ “Dutch? That you? It’s - it’s Alice. Riley.”

“Kid.” Alice could almost hear his relief - the years had taken their toll on him, she could tell that, but… They were both glad the other was alive. “Where are you?”

Joseph shook his head from across the room.

“Kid?”

“I’m - I’m not sure. It…. Joseph’s with me.” The man frowned, but she shrugged. “I blacked out. He brought me in here.”

“Joseph? Joseph _fuckin’_ Seed? He’s with you?” Jess. That was _Jess_.

Alice gripped the microphone tighter, her brain not believing her ears. “Jess?”

“Rook, what the fuck has he done to you?”

“Nothing - he’s… Nothing.” It was true - aside from the initial entry into the bunker, he had never touched her without her permission, and was reluctant to touch her even _with_ her permission. “We’ve argued, but… We’re just waiting for the end of the year. He said it’s safe to get outta here then.”

Silence.

Long enough that Alice was worried the connection was lost.

Then…

“Alice.” Jess was… Worried? “It’s been safe to be out in the open for years. We left -” Her voice was muffled for a moment, then came back. “We’ve been coming and going for five years. Look, I’m at Uncle Dutch’s, you -”

The radio switched off.

Joseph stood next to her, holding the power cord for the radio. “I know you have questions.”

“Questions? _Questions?_ ” Alice stood up, staring at him. “Could we really have been out of this stupid bunker for that _fucking_ long? We could have been - we could have been looking for everyone. We could _know_ if everyone was okay, if everyone made it to bunkers, Joseph. We wouldn’t have been sitting here for six and a half _fucking_ years, wondering if --  _fuck!_ ”

He didn’t stop her when she stormed to the ladder out of the bunker, nor when she started climbing.

Feeling the fresh air on her face for the first time in years was _glorious_.

Seeing the damage, though?

It kinda killed the mood.

Joseph climbed out behind her, placing a hand on her shoulder.

“It could be worse.” Alice murmured. “I mean, the house isn’t _completely_ gone, just… Mostly.”

“That isn’t comforting, Alice.”

“Sorry.”

Fuck, the light hurt her eyes. Joseph’s, too - the man looked ready to duck back into the darkness of the bunker, or to dig through the ruins of Rae-Rae’s house to see if there were any sunglasses or a hat or _something_ to dull the brightness even a little.

The house.

That was a good idea, actually - it was fucking _cold_ out. There had to be something in there that was still in one piece, something she could throw on or wrap herself up in… Maybe there would be some food left - something different from what was in the bunker, something _new_.

Before they did anything though, they needed to find weapons.

Who knew how the world had changed? Who knew how many people were already out, if any of them would be violent, if any would remember being told to kill the deputy at any cost, or to kill Joseph at any cost….

Yeah. Weapons were a priority.

The garage - not much of a garage now, having been knocked down by a storm years ago and dirt piled against it - had weapons in it once upon a time.

Still did. The guns didn’t work, but the dynamite was dry, the grenades _looked_ like they should work, and the knives? Well, they were perfect. She silently passed one to Joseph, praying that the years in the bunker meant that wouldn’t be a mistake.

A car speeding up the driveway, stopping where the garage used to be, almost the exact spot she found Boomer all those years ago, stopped her.

Jess.

Oh _God_ , it was Jess.

Her old friend looked _so_ different.

Older, obviously, with wrinkles where there hadn’t been any before, a new scar on her face, new ones disappearing up her arms, hidden by the ratty sweatshirt she wore.

Her eyes, though - those were the same.

Jess stood there, next to the car, watching them.

Alice gave her a weak smile.

She barely had time to react before the other woman’s arms were around her, face buried in her hair.

“Fucking hell, Alice, where the _fuck_ have you been.”

“....Here?” She got a swat on the arm for that, and she smiled. “Fuck, I missed you.”

“Missed you too, you asshole.” Jess smiled into Alice’s hair, then glanced over at Joseph. “Fuckin’ hell, I never wanted to see that fucker again.”

Alice shrugged.

She never would be _friends_ with Joseph, that’s for sure - but even with his deception? They did spend nearly seven years in a bunker together. They _almost_ liked each other - tolerated, definitely, they’d certainly come to an (uneasy) truce, one that would likely extend to their lives in the “new” Hope County, out of pure necessity.

They couldn’t really afford to keep the war going, after all - even if it looked like the county was recovering, who knew what forces were out there to cause chaos in the county (country? World? ugh.)

Jess, with a little _too_ much enthusiasm, grabbed a rope from the car and tied Joseph to a fencepost, then went back to grab a second blanket for Alice.

“What now?”

“Mary May’s on her way. She’s gonna take you home.” Jess sat next to Alice, nudging her with her shoulder. “Then I’ll take that fucker over to the county jail, I think they still have a cell with a working door.”

“Oh.”

“Alice _fuckin’_ Riley, you did _not_ go soft on me.”

Alice shook her head. “No. I just… It’s a lot. Everything’s different. I dunno why I didn’t expect that monstrosity t’ still be standing. There’s worse places for him to go, I guess.”

“We could leave him out for the bears.”

“ _Jess_.”

“What?”

She sighed. “Just… Let’s not.”

“...Sure.” Jess looked at Alice, seemingly taking a good look at her old friend for the first time since she arrived. “Fuck, you look so weird right now.”

“Wow, thanks.”

“No, I mean - your hair.”

Alice frowned, then looked down at her braid. “Oh. Yeah. For some reason, Rae-Rae didn’t store any hair dye down there…”

“Oh. Right.” Jess started, looking up at a noise (fuck, it was so _quiet_ \- Alice hadn’t realized till then, there weren’t any cars, no planes, motor boats - nothing, not until the silence was broken just then), a tense look coming over her face.

Another car pulled into the driveway - a beat-up old pickup.

Was that…

Huh.

Her dad’s old truck survived the apocalypse.

She didn’t know why that surprised her.

Nor the fact that Mary May stepped out of it - her friend was so determined, so smart, so resourceful - she should have expected her to survive the bombs.

Her heart stopped when she saw who climbed out the other side of the truck.

Faith.

It was Faith.

_Her Faith._

She was alive - she was _safe_.

Mary May beat Faith to her, enveloping Alice is a deep hug.

“Alice.”

“Hey, May.”

“You’re here.”

“Yeah.”

Mary May stepped away with a smile, moving to talk to Jess.

Alice stared at Faith.

She still couldn’t believe that she had made it, and that she looked so, so similar to how she looked before, not appearing to have aged a day.

Faith was looking at her the same way - disbelief, love, sadness, other emotions she couldn’t identify, all passing over her face.

“Are you going to make me wait?” Alice smiled, shrugging off her blanket and taking a step forward.

Faith launched herself at her, wrapping her arms around Alice, face nestled in her hair. “I missed you.”

“I missed you too. _Fuck_ , I missed you so much.” Alice whispered, then pulled her into a kiss.

When Faith pulled away, she rested her forehead against Alice’s, smiling. “I have so much to tell you.”

They stayed like that for a moment, enjoying each other’s touch, enjoying being _close_ for the first time in nearly seven years, before Mary May tapped Alice on her shoulder, motioning towards the truck.

Oh.

Home.

“How bad is town?”

Mary May laughed. “It’s still there. Mostly.”

“Mostly?”

“The house is there. It’s where I live. The cats are still there, too.” Faith smiled, ignoring Mary May’s uneasy look. “Uhm, I’m not alone.”

Oh.

“I - after we left the bunker --”

“When was that?”

“Uhm, a month after.”

Alice’s face fell. Were they the only ones who stayed in for that long?

“But, uhm, after we left, I helped out at the jail. Babysitting, mostly.” Faith took a deep breath. “Two of the kids I was watching, their parents both died. Their dad right after they left their bunker, their mom... She fought at the jail.”

“Oh.”

“They’re living with me now. Grace is watching them right now. They - I’ve told them about you. Claire’s excited to see you. The cats, too. They hated coming home and you not being there.”

“I think you might be overwhelming her, Faith.” Mary May sounded so serious - how much more was there that she missed?

The kids - she wasn’t surprised, honestly. Faith had always had a soft spot for kids, taking care to avoid areas that kids were, and avoided using bliss on parents of young children.

The cats - she wasn’t expecting them to have survived. Data and Crookshanks were so particular, and this new landscape seemed so harsh and unforgiving…

As they drove past an old Eden’s Gate cross, a thought crossed her mind.

“Hey May? Is my sister okay? And Lucas?”

Mary May snorted. “You really think John didn’t get them to a bunker? Yeah, they’re fine. Holed up at Seed Ranch. Jane, she actually, uh, just had another kid. Joanna. Nothing from your folks in California, though. Staci tried to get a message out to them, but we haven’t heard back yet.”

“Oh.” Knowing Jane was okay - fuck, that was a big relief. And her little nephew - who wouldn’t be little, really, he’d be seven now - and new niece. “Who else is still alive?”

“Most everyone made it.” Mary May glanced at Faith, who shook her head. “Look, let’s just get you home, then we can fill you in.”

The rest of the drive was spent in silence. Alice curled herself into Faith’s side, trying to _not_ look outside and see how bad everything was, to see the horrors she had imagined.

She felt the car slow when they arrived in town, turning onto her street. This was the part she had dreamed of the most in the bunker: her bed, her couch, her _bathtub_ , the cats - everything.

The house was there, just like Faith had said.

It looked like _shit_ , but it was there.

At the sound of the car, the front door opened, and… Grace.

She looked older, but exactly the same at the same time. Two girls stood at her side - one a teenager, and the other just about the same age her nephew would be.

“Caroline and Claire.” Faith whispered. “Caro’s the older sister, Claire’s younger. She’s decided she’s in love with Carmina.” As the car slowed to a stop, Faith smiled. “Come on. Let’s go meet them.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... There's going to be a third part at some point. Definitely. I just need there to be more information about the things that have changed in Hope County before I can keep going. It'll probably end up as a separate thing/in a series? I'm not sure....

**Author's Note:**

> Hopefully I'll be getting Alice's part out soon - I have half of it written, but considering Faith's section started off as three paragraphs in the middle of Alice's and turned into almost 3500 words... Maybe by the end of next week it'll be ready?


End file.
